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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Fraud email example:

From: "peter massawa" <pet_mass1@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 05 Nov 2005 03:18:26 +0100
Subject: Hello


Hello,

I am Mr Peter Massawa,the Head of Consumer Banking of Standard Chartered
Bank Plc , Victoria Island, Lagos I have urgent andvery confidential
business proposition for you. On June 6, 2001, My client and close
confidante(name withheld) who might be a nationale of your country was a
Consultant/Contractor with the National Oil Nigeria LTD, made a numbered
time(Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued atUS$15,611,000.00
(Fifteen Million six hundred and eleven thousand USDollars only) in my
branch.

Upon maturity, we sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but
got no reply. After a month,we sent a reminder and finally we discovered
from his contract employers, the National Oil LTD that he died from an
automobile crash.On further investigation, I found out that he died without
making any"WILL", and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I
therefore made further investigation and discovered that he did not declare
any kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Bank
Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of US$15,611,000.00 is still sitting
in my Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at
the end of each year. No one has ever come forward to claim it.

According to Nigerian Law, at the expiration of 5 (five)years, the money
will revert to the ownership of the Nigerian Government if nobody applies to
claim the fund. Consequently, my proposal is that i will like you to act as
the next of kin to him so that the fruits of this old man's labour will not
get into the hands of government treasury. To advance the course of this
proposal, I will like you toprovide immediately your full names and address
so that the attorneywill used them to prepare the necessary documents and
affidavits which will put you in place as the next of kin.

We shall employ the service of an Attorney for drafting and notarization of
the "WILL" and to obtainthe necessary documents and letter of
probate/administration in your favour for the transfer. A Bank Account in
any part of the world which you will provide will then facilitate the
transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin. The money will
be paid into your Account for us to share in the ratio that will be agreed
upon by two of us.

All as all the paperwork for this transaction will be done by the Attorney
and my position as the Branch Manager guarantees the successful execution of
this transaction. If you are interested in this proposal, i shall then
provide you with more details and relevant information that will help you
understand the transaction.


Please observe utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured that this
transaction would be mostprofitable for both of us because I shall require
your assistance to invest my share in your country.

Do respond to my alternative email address: pr11massawa@yahoo.com

Thank you.

Mr Peter Massawa


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